Is signing Ed Reed the right move for the Houston Texans?

34 year-old safety brings Hall of Fame resume, but can he make a difference now?

FILE - In this Nov. 18, 2012, file photo, Baltimore Ravens free safety Ed Reed runs after recovering a fumble by Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Mike Wallace during the first quarter of an NFL football game in Pittsburgh. Matt Birk dragged his bulky knees and aching body back to play another season for one reason: to get to the Super Bowl. At long last, Birk, Reed and several other veterans on the Ravens get the chance to play in football's biggest game. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)

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CORPUS CHRISTI - Last night, it was reported that free agent safety Ed Reed had finally agreed to a reported two-year contract with the Texans after almost a week of flirting and obvious offer shopping. It brought upon a change of pace for the Texans as well as a question – is this the right move?

When the Texans lost Glover Quin as an unrestricted free agent to the Lions earlier this month, I honestly thought the Texans would stick to their status quo of simply drafting a replacement and letting that young player grow and develop in that ‘baptism under fire' sort of way. We had no reason to believe they wouldn't do that. Dunta Robinson was parlayed into Kareem Jackson in 2010 and the desperate need for a WR2 before last season was parlayed into two rookies (Keshawn Martin and DeVier Posey) who didn't make much of a difference.

But when the Ravens let their legendary safety hit the market, telling him to find a better offer if he thinks he can, Reed was given the full-court press by the Texans – picked up in owner Bob McNair's private jet, flown to Houston and given the rock star treatment, Reed left Houston last Friday with no deal, citing "prior commitments". I'm no one to call another person I don't know a liar, but that "commitment" sounds an awful lot like "let me check with the Ravens, Patriots and 49ers and see what they've got." Again, not saying he was lying, but then again, it doesn't matter anyways. He's a Texan and he had his own business to do before becoming one of those free agents who falls in love with the treatment he gets and leaves a contender so he can join to the Cleveland Browns (here's looking at you, Paul Kruger!).

It's a dramatic move for the Texans. Reed is 34, though he'll be 35 by Week 2, and is coming off a season in which Reed himself admitted before Baltimore's Week 17 matchup against Cincinnati that he had lost a step. You're also taking on a player who just won a Super Bowl after an 11-year journey. How much is left in that tank? How much competitive fire remains now that he's a champion as well as outside of Baltimore and in a new city for the first time since the 2002 Draft?

GM Rick Smith has made it hard to second-guess him over the last few years, though that doesn't mean he isn't prone to mistakes. Is signing Reed a mistake? Before you answer that, it's important to also consider the pros to this deal.

For starters, the Texans defense was despicable last season against good QBs like Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Matthew Stafford and completely disappeared late in the season, made to look plain stupid by Christian Ponder and Andrew Luck. You could argue that the two overtime wins in five days zapped them and left them vulnerable down the stretch. You could also argue injuries to guys like Brian Cushing, Darryl Sharpton, Brice McCain, Garrett Graham, etc hindered their ability to play ball their way. You could even toss in the whole right side of the offensive line being out of whack with Eric Winston and Mike Brisiel leaving via free agency last off-season being the reason Matt Schaub was so ineffective down the stretch.

You could argue a lot of things, but the fact is – the Texans, as talented as they are, lacked mental toughness. How do you overcome a bad start against a superior opponent? How do you change the tide and swing the game's momentum back to you? Ed Reed has made a career of changing the tide in favor of his team. He's a classic ball hawk, always taking the chance to steal the ball over simply letting the receiver catch the ball and hoping to deliver a jarring hit. He can do that, too, but he prefers the ball. That sometimes leaves him, and his team, vulnerable to big plays because he sells out even with no one else around to pick up for him when he misses, but he's made a Hall of Fame career doing it his way – you don't question it now.

Reed also comes from a team and a culture that thrived when the New England Patriots came to town. The Texans, like so many other teams, seemed in awe of the Patriots, marveling at their talent and business-like approach while the Patriots beat the letterman jackets right off them. Ed Reed doesn't do letterman jackets, nor does he do too much marveling. He hates the Patriots and takes any chance he can get to beat them. The Texans need that kind of attitude – that edge – if they're ever going to get past Brady and his goons. Even if Reed isn't the difference-maker on the field that he once was, his attitude could prove to be infectious, especially for guys like JJ Watt, Johnathan Joseph, Kareem Jackson, Brian Cushing, Antonio Smith and others.

Health-wise, I think it'd be foolish to assume that Reed will remain healthy for the duration of his two-year pact. He'll be 35 and in his 12th season in the league. But it'll be his influence that the Texans benefit from in the long run.

Is it smart to sign Ed Reed? If I were in charge, I'd sign him, too. These are the risks you take when you're a franchise trying to get to that upper echelon of teams. It's not enough to almost get there or to get there just once and then fall back. It's extremely difficult to remain competitive year after year after year in the salary cap era, but if you build a culture that breeds winning in even the most pedestrian of players, you can end up with a gem like the Ravens, Patriots, and Steelers – a consistent winner with the occasional Super Bowl.